OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2012.   In the period of November 12-14, 2012 a physical inventory taking of nuclear materials (an IAEA inspection) was held in the IUEC’s storage facility in Angarsk.

The IAEA designated the IUEC’s storage facility as a subject of safeguards commencing July 1, 2010. The IAEA Department of Safeguards oversees nuclear materials and facilities in frames of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). The IAEA inspections include the following: review of operational documents, records and reports, verification of the physical inventory of nuclear materials (NM) declared by the operator in each material balance zone through weighting NM containers, using non-destructive assay instruments and NM sampling. Also, video surveillance of and applying of the IAEA seals on the containers are used for the purposes of safeguards at an operator’s facility.

This year, in frames of the IAEA inspection of the guaranteed physical reserve of nuclear material in the facility the Agency verified the NM flow through the storage facility which is intended for the first commercial shipment by the IUEC to meet Ukraine’s nuclear power needs.

At the inspection closing briefing the IAEA inspectors reported that they had fulfilled the inspection plan in full scope. The inspectors thanked the IUEC management and employees for their assistance in organizing and hosting the physical inventory taking measure.